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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694476">Let sleeping bosses lie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoryhonorfame/pseuds/victoryhonorfame'>victoryhonorfame</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Babies, Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:34:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694476</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoryhonorfame/pseuds/victoryhonorfame</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Too late for spyfest but here you go. Prompt: [Character] seems scary until you give them a/an [item].</p><p>Will work within <em> Ouroboros </em> storyline and within the wider <em> Devil and the Deep Blue Sea </em> universe because I'm a sucker for playing in pong's world, but no prior reading needed &amp; can standalone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Let sleeping bosses lie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valaks/gifts">Valaks</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>To cheer Valak up :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mantlepiece was dusty. Carla wiped it efficiently, cursing the other girl who clearly didn’t pull her weight around here. The candles were picked up, wiped down and placed back exactly where they came from. Nothing out of place here. Everything to be put back identically, as if she was never there.</p><p>She hummed to herself as she tackled the mirror. It had a carved wooden frame, painted gold, with particularly tricky nooks and crannies that collected dust. A tiny spec of something didn’t budge. Hmmm. Tricky customer eh. No problem, a little spray, a little rub, there we go. Good as new.</p><p>The coffee table was cluttered. Unusual, for her employers, but no matter. She could move them, clean underneath and replace them without anyone any the wiser. She knew better than to read the papers, or even glance too long in their general direction. And dust open laptop while she was there. Oh, the charger cable was filthy too, lets tackle that. And the mouse, check the light underneath and clean out the stray hairs beginning to clog it up.</p><p>Peer under the sofa, pull out some trash. Don’t look at it, just place it in the bag to be checked by one of the security teams later. Nothing was ever binned without being scrutinised. Never by her, no, she never looked. None of her business, just how she liked it.</p><p>Straightening, she evaluated the sitting room. It looked good. It needed a vacuum, but that was due at exactly 0610 tomorrow, according to the schedule. The schedule changed every day, which didn’t make sense to Carla, but that was ok. She didn’t get paid to think. Just to clean. And cleaning she could do, and do well.</p><p>She gathered her supplies and moved to the study door. A quick knock and “housekeeping” – never walk into a room unannounced – and when there was no response, she opened the door. Immediately, the smell hit her. Urgh. Like a toilet, only worse. The offending item was on display on desk.</p><p>A soiled diaper.</p><p>A separate waste bag for that then. Easy enough. And to sanitise the entire desk, that’s no problem either. Got the perfect spray right here. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.</p><p>A gurgle stopped her in her tracks. She froze, one hand outstretched holding the rag.</p><p>Turned her head.</p><p>There, on the couch, was a baby. Almost a toddler really.</p><p>Her blood chilled in her veins.</p><p>The baby was sat on her employer, Mr Gregorovich. He was stretched out, fast asleep, with a line of what could only be baby sick on his shoulder, and wrinkled clothes. The child was watching her, one fist clenching rhythmically in his shirt. He stirred at the motion, but didn’t open his eyes. One hand reached up to the child, settling her back to his chest.</p><p>The adrenaline ebbed away. It was hard to remember this man was the terrifying killer they all knew he was. She tried to focus on that, but there he was, fast asleep with a tiny child on his chest. He must be exhausted. Children were hard work.</p><p>Better let him sleep.</p><p>Carla inched herself upright and backed away slowly. Carefully, picking every step out and holding her equipment away from her body so nothing would rustle or bang together, she backed out of the room. Eyes darting back to the prone figure on the couch.</p><p>As she approached the doorway, she realized how she had made the mistake. The couch faced the side of the desk, away from the door. She hadn’t seen him there when she had walked in and had been too focused on the source of the smell.</p><p>Once past the threshold, she fled. She didn’t risk shutting the door, it had the tiniest squeak, just turned and fled straight across the sitting room, through the suite door and to the corridor outside. The ever-present guard looked at her questioningly. She normally took much longer to clean. </p><p>“Occupied. I’ll be back later.”<br/>
<br/>
<em>Actually I’ll trade with Tessa, she owes me a favour. I don’t think I can look Mr Gregorovich in the eyes again. </em></p>
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